The Supers before the Heroes
by pengping
Summary: Pre-Thor. The princes are about 12. There's no romance intended, saying that right now, the last chapter just gets a bit bloody: Life on Asgard is normal until the Ambassadors from Alfheim arrive. And when the Light Elves Princess arrives with them and she meets the Princes, things are bound to get interesting, but no one expected it to get bloody...
1. 1 Second Shadow?

Loki stood on the end of the Bifrost, watching as it activated. The ambassadors from Alfheim had arrived, right on time. He did not remain there to greet them, there was a feast being held in their honor tonight. Turning on his heel, the younger prince of Asgard disappeared in a swirl of emerald sparkles, teleporting off to the training field – where his brother undoubtedly was.

* * *

Loki was right, as usual. He wanted to tell his brother about the elves, but Thor was currently engaged. Sif had managed to disarm him and was standing between him and his training sword. Thor had yet to retrieve it.

Loki perched on one of the lower branches of the apple tree, having scampered up it invisibly, and watched Thor struggle. He was tempted to ice the training field over and see how well they'd do then, but his brother dived to one side, and hitting the ground, came up with his blade. Loki decided against it. Fandral was shouting on Thor while Hogan watched, silently as ever.

Sif slid away from one of Thor's strokes and parried another, slipping her sword up past his defense and to his throat. Thor froze. "That is two points for me," Sif goaded, slowly dropping her blade with a smug smile. Thor scowled. The clear blue sky darkened slightly as black clouds moved in.

"Thor!" Fandral shouted, his voice losing its cheerful edge. "Don't make it rain _again_!" the blonde Godling looked around, and then up. "Loki! Don't let him make it rain!"

Loki swung down the branch partly and tilted his head to one side. "Why _ever_ not?" He taunted.

Fandral gaped.

"It's autumn, a little rain isn't too odd."

Loki kept up his innocent look as Fandral turned away, fuming. It was surprising that Fandral had brought him into the conversation. Normally Thor's friends just ignored him, he had a distinct feeling they put up with him because otherwise Thor wouldn't tolerate _them_.

The wind shifted and Loki heard a stick snap loudly. He was at an odd angle to the noise and had to crane his neck when he heard a giggle, muffled, but undoubtedly there. His eyes skimmed over the shadows in the corner of the yard. Something moved. Loki pulled himself back into the foliage to get at a better angle, but by that time the figure in the shadows was gone.

Loki frowned slightly but brushed it off. Most likely it was just a court girl trying to find something to gossip over. Girls. Loki couldn't understand why Thor and Fandral were forever chasing them around and making fools of themselves to get their attention.

By then, the clouds had faded and Fandral and Thor were now sparring. Hogan watched them stoically as Sif sat down on the grass, triumphant but exhausted. Loki hummed softly as he lay on the branch. Wait a moment, he thought, where's Volstagg?

* * *

The kitchen in Asgard's palace was a busy place, servants and cooks were forever bustling around and tonight's feast made the chaos even worse. On days of a feat it was traditional for attendees to not eat anything the _whole day_ until the feast. Tradition or not, it didn't seem fair to Volstagg – who was always hungry – and right now on the verge of starving.

The plump Godling trotted around the kitchen. Loki was the real expert on sneaking around unnoticed but Volstagg was able to do a fair job in all the chaos. After a minute or so of clumsy "sneaking" and banging his head on a table once, he spotted his prey.

A maid had set a plate of fresh, hot sweettarts on a nearby table and walked away. Volstagg licked his lips, and got out from under the table, almost hitting his head again. He took a few steps and felt a warm breeze brush by him. In a kitchen with all its fires roaring it should come as no surprise, but there was a sort of substance to it that made his hair stand on end. He stopped and frowned.

A few sweettarts hovered off the plate and Volstagg's eyes got big as a bite appeared in one of them. "Loki?" he asked knowing how good the Prince was at invisibility.

"Huh?" he heard a voice near the hovering goodies asked. The plate slid off the table and shattered, spilling sweettarts everywhere. "Oops, didn't mean to do that." The same voice apologized.

"Volstagg!" one of the cooks, spotting him near the poor ruined treats, shouted.

"I didn't do it!" Volstagg shouted back, ducking under a flour covered rolling pin and beating a hasty retreat out of the kitchen. He didn't slow down until he got to the training yard where Fandral and Thor were sparring.

* * *

"Loki!"

Loki rolled his eyes at his name and jumped down from his perch on the tree landing a few inches from a breathless Volstagg. Volstagg almost jumped out of his boots when he turned his head and saw Loki right next to him. He yelped instead and landed on his rear.

"Yes?" Loki asked, pleased that he could look down on someone for once instead of looking up. He hated being short.

"How did you get here so fast?" Volstagg demanded, standing up.

"Get where?" Loki asked again, frowning, what was Volstagg was getting at?

"From the kitchens!" Volstagg insisted. Loki's look remained clueless. "You knocked over a plate of sweettarts and got me chased out!"

"Me?" Loki shook his head. "I've been here watching the sparring the whole time."

"Well, who else can turn invisible?" Volstagg growled, looking over at his friends.

"Any other mage." Loki shrugged nonchalantly and leaned against the apple tree. "It's an advanced spell but by no means impossible." So another mage was causing trouble was he, hmm, that was _his_ job…

That seemed to appease Volstagg. "Didn't sound like you I guess, more like a girl."

"Sure it wasn't Loki?" Sif challenged from where she sat.

"Do not insult my brother!" Thor warned, lowering his blade from Fandral victoriously.

Sif rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Thor opened his mouth but stopped when he saw Loki's look.

"Hey Sif." Loki started. Sif turned to face him defiantly. Loki had to look up to make eye contact being a full head shorter than everyone else. Loki smiled a smile that made Sif wary, mischief alight in his emerald eyes. "Better lock up any scissors you have."

Fandral gaped and Thor grinned, Volstagg looked surprised and Hogan rolled his eyes. Sif went from wary to furious. She hadn't kept scissors on her nightstand since the last time she had insulted Loki and woken up with her beautiful golden hair scattered around her room. It had grown back that dull brown-black.

"Why you!" She spat and lunged at the smaller boy, throwing a punch – only to fall straight through his illusion. The illusionary Loki dissolved into emerald swirls and Sif – who had put too much energy into the swing – fell on her stomach with an oomph. Sif could hear Loki's laughter from up in the apple tree and Loki heard giggling.

This time Loki was in a perfect position to see a small, lithe figure in the shadows. Loki condensed his magic and sent out an invisible ripple of it to the hidden figure. It straightened at the touch of his magic and Loki got the distinct feeling that it, no he had a feeling it was a she, was looking through the dense leaves of the tree at him. There was a ripple of odd colored light around the figure and she was gone.

Invisibility.

That was the same giggle from earlier. Loki knew who the mages were, and that laugh hadn't come from any of them, it was new. Was that the same girl that Volstagg had gotten chased out for? If she was one and the same, then who was she?


	2. 2 A Very Bad First Impression

Thor stomped down the hallway and flung open the gilded doors of his brother's room. "Brother!" He shouted.

The room was empty. Thor stared at it in exasperation. There had not been ambassadors on Asgard from _any_ realm since the betrayal of Malekith, and having the elves here was a big deal. The feast in their honor was due to start in a few hours and Loki had disappeared.

"Loki, are you here?" He asked, remembering how one time Loki had just stood in his room invisible and watched Thor rant about how he wasn't there. Loki's laughing had finally given him away. But Thor didn't hear any laughter now and he had such news to tell him! He had just heard that the Light Elves Princess was with the elves ambassador, and would be attending the feast.

An elfin princess – here – tonight – right in the palace! Stories of her exceptional beauty had already spread. So had rumors of a darker nature, rumors of shadows and blood and foul play by her hand. The one thing that was consistent was that she was King Hallien and Queen Anastasia's foster daughter. The identity of her real parents was a source of fierce debate among the maids and court girls.

Loki had no interest in girls – yet, but after he saw the Princess that would change. Thor was sure of it. Unfortunately for his little brother this Princess was all his. After all, what fair maiden could possibly resist _him_?

Loki sighed to himself as he took a delicate bite of roasted goose drizzled in honey and wine. He was _bored_, and a bored Loki was a dangerous Loki. To his right, Thor was doing his best nor to fidget.

Normally feasts were jovial and loud things. Normal rules of dinner did not usually apply; there was too much music and wine for that, but not this time. This time everyone spoke quietly and sat straight, wine was drank sparsely, and music was quiet. There were no sudden fights, no bets on who could drink the most, no clamor of vastly exaggerated stories being told, just an air of unease.

Loki was certain that the seating, rearranged especially for this feast, was bothering Thor. Thor's friends, for the first time at any feast or meal, were relegated to seating away from him. Both Princes were sitting at the same table as their parents in itchy formal clothes.

There was another problem with the seating, Loki reflected as he tried to figure out a way to cause a little of his renowned mayhem without getting in trouble. The seat to the right of the Ambassador was empty. Princess Tilaria of Alfheim – elder child and foster daughter of their Royal Family was missing, too sick to attend. Deciding that he would get in trouble no matter what happened, Loki started figuring out the wording of a spell.

Thor waved for a refill on his wine cup, his fourth tonight. Loki was still on his first. He knew how foolish warriors got when they were drunk and one of the Princes needed to keep from looking like a fool in front of the elves. Figuring the words out, Loki raised his cup to his lips, feigning a drink, and had just started whispering the first syllables when Arlen straightened.

It was a small movement, elves had perfect posture, but something had caught the Ambassadors' attention. The other elves had seen it to and some of the Æsir had quieted, all were tracking the same object with their eyes. Loki stopped whispering his spell and said a counter-spell to keep the charm from activating wildly, then followed their gaze.

Swirling around the tables, filling cups and moving plates in their garbs of brown, were servants. A figure most definitely not a servant was walking among them, heading to the main table. She was beautiful, Loki saw that instantly, but he didn't recognize her.

As she walked by them, Thor, oblivious, drunk, or both slammed his glass on the table yet again. "Another!" He called and grabbed the beautiful girl by her arm as she brushed by them. "Servant!" Thor ordered the girl who was no servant. "Get me another!"

The girl stared at Thor as if he had grown horns. "Another what?" she asked. Her voice was pretty, with a slight, syllabent ripple to her consonants, her even and precise wording bespoke that she was had a noble upbringing.

"Wine!" Thor demanded again. She hesitated. "Ah!" Thor waved his hand in dismissal as if she were slow in the mind.

Loki looked around. One of the elves' jaws had dropped slightly and the Ambassador was turning red. Odin looked like he was going to disown Thor then and there.

The girl giggled.

Now Loki straightened. That was the same laugh as from the training field. He took a closer look at the girl; there was something familiar about her accent that he tried to place in his mind. She _was_ beautiful and of his age. Her long golden hair was even more alluring than Sif's had been before he'd hexed her scissors. Her skin was unblemished with just the right tan and blush to be pleasant to the eye. Her cheekbones were high and her features had an almost feline like touch to them. But it was her eyes that were the most alluring, they were the oddest shade of fuchsia that he'd ever seen and jewel bright with the iris being an almost crystalline structure. Her ears were… on no.

Loki looked at her formal clothes. Elfin. Just like her ears. Oh that oaf Thor…

Thor let go of the elfin girls' arm, seeming to realize she was no servant. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Who are you?" She countered in her elfin accent.

"I am Prince Thor of Asgard!" Thor boasted. "And this," he grabbed Loki's shoulder, ignoring the shaking of his brother's head. "Is my brother Loki."

Loki seriously debated turning invisible. He didn't want anything to do with _this_.

The elf girl nodded. "I am Princess Tilaria of Alfheim."

You could have heard a feather drop in the silence that greeted the Princess's words. Thor's eyes got as wide as dinner plates as her name sunk past the wine-clouded senses. His jaw dropped slightly and you could see his face become a shade similar to strawberries. He looked desperately to Loki.

Loki let his hair cover his face and hid his head in a hand.

Tilaria turned to address Odin. Her expression was amused but her pink eyes were as hard as jewels. "Pardon me for being late Allfather, I was feeling a little ill after the trip here on the Bifrost but I am better now. May I eat? Unless your servants truly are so understaffed that they require my aid?"

Odin could only nod numbly at her insult.

With a tilt of her head in acknowledgment, Tilaria walked over to the Ambassador and took her seat.

"Nice first impression Thor," Loki muttered ideas of magically starting a food fight forgotten.

Thor stared at the food on his plate as if trying to set it afire with his glare.


	3. 3 Half-Breed

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Crack! The sound of the slap echoed. But in the elves private wing of the palace, only the elves heard. Arlen lowered his hand, keeping his expression perfectly neutral as if he could care less what happened to the now injured figure in front of him. He didn't./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria raised her head slowly, her silky golden hair falling over her face, not quite able to hide Arlen's handprint that glowed on her cheek. Her unique eyes were afire. "Did I not act sufficiently elfin for you?" She hissed at Arlen./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"The ambassador apprised her with his blue eyes, a common color among elves, blue eyes colder than ice. "You can never be a true elf." He spoke with an obvious revulsion for the figure standing before him. "You did place that idiotic Odin where he belonged, below us, but my orders to you were clear half-breed. You are even more inferior then those worthless Æsir; at least emthey/em know how to follow orders."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria gave no external sign of how much those words hurt, all the elves had spoken to her that way her whole life, and this was far from new. All but Eragon. Her precious foster brother, who adored her despite the elves best efforts to turn him against her./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""You were to stay in your quarters, not taint us with your presence at the feast held in my name." Arlen spat./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""I am your Heiress," Tilaria taunted. Heiress was the elfin version of the title Princess./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Crack!/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"The second slap had Arslen's full force behind it and knocked her off her feet. Tilaria did not cry out, did not whimper, but remained kneeling before Arslen. Elves were logical, not emotional. Showing emotion in these conditions would make things even worse for her./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria knew what he wanted her to do, what he expected her to do. Swallowing what was left of her pride, she carefully extended her hands above her, palms down, in front of Arlen. It was a sign of submission. Arlen did not even deem her worthy enough touch her wrists and accept her total surrender. He just looked at her with emsuch/em repugnance./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"He remembered his orders concerning her, he didn't even want to name the creature, she was not worthy of a name. Should he act now? No. He was supposed to kill Asgard's princes when he acted if at all possible. He would wait./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Return to your rooms." Arslen ordered Tilaria, keeping his hands away from her, least contact contaminate him. "And remain there you mongrel, you, whose existence would dare dilute the perfect blood of the elves with such lowly creatures as Asgardians. You, whose mother was Asgardian." He jeered and waved a short dismissal./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria lowered her hands. Not accepting her surrender was more hurtful then making her offer it. She stood in one short move, her actions still elfin graceful and glided down the hall silently to her room. The door slammed./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;  
line-height:115%;font-family:mso-hansi-font-family:Andalus"A very childish action from such a disgrace as that half-breed/span, Arlen thought with loathing. He'd be so happy when that insulting creature was dead./p 


	4. 4 The Sweetest Ones Are On Top

The almost silent footsteps of Asgard's younger prince echoed slightly as Loki tried to figure the shortest route to the library.

It was the day after the feast and surprisingly few Æsir were lying in bed with a hangover – Thor being one of them. After the feast with the Princess's mistaken identity, Odin had tried shouting at Thor. Thor had passed out from all his wine. So Loki was trying to escape to the library before Odin found him. Loki also needed to look through the magic books to find a charm to make his formal clothes less itchy. Thor would be on his own and most likely not evade their father's imminent wrath. It was his bloody fault.

With his goals in mind he decided it would be quickest to cut across the training yard. It was almost lunch but he doubted anyone would be there. As he edged along the courtyard, the apple tree's branches started rustling. Loki paused and stared at the crackling leaves.

"Almost… Oh come on you dang apple just come a little closer…" he heard a voice say from up in the tree.

Loki gulped, he remembered that voice all too well. Though why Princess Tilaria had scampered up the tree instead of just taking an apple from the kitchen was beyond him.

The rustling of the leaves increased. "And I… got you!" Her victory was cut off by an ominous cracking noise. "Hmm." He heard her say. Then the branch she was standing on, one of the ones at the very top broke. He heard her falling and a thud as a branch of them caught her without breaking. All was quiet from the apple tree.

Loki hesitated. Under any other circumstances he'd just walk away and roll his eyes but after last night's mess things were far from normal. Leaving the elves' Princess unconscious up in the tree with a possible concussion would not make things better. Best not make things any worse.

Sighing, he reluctantly dropped his invisibility and edged towards the tree. As Loki crept under the canopy of leaves something jumped out of the tree at him.

Loki gave a cry of surprise and – in a rare move of ungracefulness – tripped over a root and landed flat on his back. He decided to just lay there and stare at the leaves and big red apples that hung from the branches. He was sure his face was the same color.

Tilaria gave that little giggle again. "Oops, didn't know I was going to scare you that badly."

Loki debated on invisibility again but sat up. "You did that on purpose?"

Tilaria smiled. She had swung down from the lower branches of the tree – that was what had surprised him – and was hanging upside down, her legs hooked on a branch. "I had to figure you out some way to get you to come over. All the other Æsir are avoiding me."

"Um, that's from Thor, he, uh…" Loki stuttered. He couldn't figure out anything to say! Idiot!

"He treated me as a servant, and a rather daft one at that." Tilaria nodded and took a bite from an apple in her hand. It crunched loudly. "Umm… The sweetest ones are always one top aren't they?" She took another bite. "I truly didn't think the branch would break, it seemed sturdy enough, it didn't warn me."

"Warn you?" Loki asked, his clumsiness momentarily forgotten.

"Elves have a connection with living things like plants. The trees on Alfheim warn you through a, a sixth sense almost, _before_ it breaks so you don't fall. The trees on Asgard don't do that." She rolled her eyes and held out her other hand. It had an apple in it as well. "Want it?" She offered. "It's from the top like mine."

Loki stared. For all his silver tongued persuasion when it came to talking himself out of trouble he could not think of a single thing to say.

"What?" She asked again. She flipped off the branch, landing on her feet.

"You're acting, um." He tried again.

Tilaria narrowed her eyes curiously; her exotic fuchsia eyes stared into his own emerald hypnotically. There were sparkles and swirls of silver in her eyes. She was only an inch taller than him.

"Different." She had to finish again. "That was me putting on a show for Arlen. He expects me to act like an elf. I-I've learned its best not to disappoint him. Arlen told you I was sick didn't he?" She gave a disdainful look and took another bite.

"You weren't sick." Loki caught on. He frowned curiously. "You are the Light Elves Princess, why don't they want Asgard to see you?"

"Close but not quite, clever prince," Tilaria replied with a smile and bite. "You know I am Anastasia and Hallien's foster daughter, correct?"

Loki nodded, arms crossed.

"Anastasia found me on Alfheim when I was just a babe. She brought me back to Alfheim's palace and decided to raise me as hers. Hallien was furious. I was very young when Anastasia had Eragon. Anastasia died not long after that." Tilaria's voice softened and her eyes became distant.

Loki nodded again. What she was saying about Eragon was well known. He was Anastasia and Hallien's trueborn son and Crown Heir to the Elves throne.

"After she died, Hallien removed my claim to the throne and right to call myself Halliendottir. The only reason he let me stay at all was that Eragon was too fond of me." She gave a small, sad smile at that.

"Why go that far?" Loki whispered his question.

Now Tilaria looked like she was going to turn invisible. "I am a… a…" She trailed off.

Loki didn't say anything letting her tell her story at her own pace. He got the distinct feeling that otherwise she wouldn't tell it at all.

"I am a half-blood." She whispered.

Loki frowned. "Half-blood? I've never heard that term before."

Tilaria looked shocked by his lack of knowledge. "Y-yes. My father is Elfin but my mother is… Æsir." She looked like she expected Loki to outcast her for it.

"Oh," Now Loki understood. "You're a Halfling. Each parent is from a different realm. Some suspected they are possible but there are no records of one ever existing. Neat, you must have all sorts of unique magic."

Tilaria's eyes got huge when she realized he'd complimented her. She shook her head. "I am a half-breed. My existence dilutes the elves perfect blood, creatures of half-blood should not exist. That's why the Elves locked me in my room last night. They didn't want me near them." She shook her head and Loki noticed that her right cheek was slightly redder then the other. His eyes darkened when he realized what shape the redness was. That was wrong.

Loki was used to causing mayhem and driving everyone crazy, making everyone mad at him, he didn't know what to say to comfort. "I have a feeling that that is their loss." He tried.

Tilaria searched his face for a lie but found none, not this time. She lowered her eyes. She didn't know what to think. Æsir were different, she'd give them that. She decided on a small, careful, smile. Loki got the distinct impression that she was like a wild animal, one wrong move and she'd bolt and he'd never see her again.

Tilaria tossed her second apple and Loki caught it easily, taking a bite. It was sweet.

The light reflected off the razor sharp edges of his twin blades. He had his orders. One of his scouts had just reported seeing the half-breed walking off with Asgard's younger Prince to lunch. Time to kill.


	5. 5 Hello Again

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Despite missing breakfast, Thor really wasn't hungry. His hangover had not been emso bad/em that he couldn't leave his room; he was just so embarrassed he never wanted to leave it. His mother had woken him up and made him walk down for lunch anyway. Frigga had said that Loki wasn't sulking in his room after the feast. Loki hadn't called the most beautiful elf on Alfheim a servant./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"So now he grumbled as he stomped down the hallway to the dining hall. Thor glanced up just in time to see a black haired figure turn the corner ahead of him. Loki was the only Æsir on Asgard, ever, to have black hair. He trotted after his brother but found he had disappeared./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Glowering, he continued his solo hike to the dining hall and quietly opened the doors. That was rare enough, he usually slammed them open. There were Star Guard and some of the court already eating. The Star Guard had their armor off as they were off shift, and their swords slung on the backs of their chairs. His friends were sitting down as well, chatting. Volstagg was eating of course./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"No one had noticed his quiet entry. That was a relief. The shadows moved as Loki materialized into view, eating the last bites of an apple, looking rather pleased with himself. Thor was instantly wary. When Loki looked that pleased, wariness was wise./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Brother, what did you do now?" Thor asked, deciding to keep away from his seat for the moment./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Those who heard his question looked up. They were fully aware of Loki's reputation as the Godling of Mischief. Loki was saved from answering by a painfully familiar voice. "There's a lot more people here than last night."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""That's because it's not such a formal meal. There's usually more but I think quite a few have hangovers." Loki replied to the comment and glided over to his seat with his almost feral stride./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria nodded but didn't move from the doorway. She looked wary, almost scared./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Thor just stood by his seat. He had no idea what to do. He had made a fool of her and himself last night./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""We don't bite." Loki called out again when he realized Tilaria wasn't moving. "You might get a bit of thunder from the Godling on my right if he gets mad, but that's all." He waved his hand in Thor's direction and took a strawberry. Loki loved strawberries./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Thor glared at his brother, forgetting that Tilaria was there. "I do not make it thunder when I get mad." He retorted./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""No," Loki admitted. Thor started a smile. "You usually make it rain to." Now Thor scowled./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Do not." Thor growled./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Do to." Loki replied smugly./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Do not!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Do to."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""I DO NOT!" Thor shouted and stomped his foot in a childish manor. The diners could faintly hear a rumbling noise from outside./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Fandral groaned. He hated getting soaked by Thor's storms./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Thunder," Loki replied smugly taking another strawberry before turning to face Tilaria. "Give him a minute and there'll be rain."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Loki." Thor warned./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Yes brother?" Loki asked as innocently as possible making his eyes get all big as he faced off against his glowering brother./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Thor's reply was cut off by Tilaria's laugh. She smothered it into a small giggle as if afraid someone would hear it and looked down when everyone glanced her way./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Do you intend to eat over there?" Loki asked her patiently, ignoring his brother again as he took a sweettart from the table. "Want one?" He waved it in her direction./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""No." Tilaria whispered./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""No to the first question or the second?" Loki pushed./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Sif kicked him under the table. Loki jumped a bit, "Ow." He muttered, glaring at her./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Stop," Sif warned, "you're confusing her."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Loki muttered something about scissors and pulled his feet under his chair to avoid Sif's next kick./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""No to both," Tilaria said softly but she walked over to the table./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Both Thor and Fandral had been interested in Tilaria but neither had gotten a good look at her the night before. Both decided that she was unmatched beauty even among Elves, which was true, and both wanted her to be their girl only./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Her clothes were colored fuchsia and rose pink with white pleats on the right side of her skirt; all were decorated with white swirls. She had a pair of slipper-like shoes and a skirt that came down mid-thigh. There was a pair of cloth vanguards that went from elbow to wrist nearly. Her sleeveless tunic had a high neck line with an intricate collar, but it was cut off on the bottom and exposed all of her midriff. That was all. Neither teen had ever seen a girl wearing so little./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""I had some sweettarts already. Well one, sort of knocked the rest onto the floor…" Tilaria looked embarrassed again./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""So it was you! You got me chased out of the kitchen." Volstagg interrupted with a pout./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria fidgeted nervously. She was consciously aware that the other Æsir in the room were paying acute attention./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"But Volstagg shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. I'm always getting chased out of the kitchen. I'm Volstagg." He introduced himself cheerfully./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Fandral stood up, deciding to make his move. "I am Fandral milady, and I am at the complete service of one as dazzling as yourself." He bowed low, almost hitting his head on the table./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Sif rolled her eyes but Tilaria only looked more flustered./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""I am Hogan, Princess," Hogan said simply./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Ah," Fandral interrupted, "a rare sentence from our silent swordsman."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Hogan glanced at him and went back to eating./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Sif rolled her eyes. "Since we're doing introductions, I'm Sif."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""You were sparring with Thor." Tilaria nodded./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Sif nodded, "and winning," she said smugly, coaxing a small, short smile from Tilaria./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Loki ate another strawberry. "She already knows me," he said with a purr. "Almost fell out of the apple tree."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Fandral frowned. "What was a fair maid such as yourself doing up the apple tree?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""I-I wanted an apple, and all the sweet ones are on the top, so I climbed." Tilaria would later learn that what Fandral was doing to her was called flattery. Elves didn't have anything like it. "Loki was just walking by when the branch I was on broke." Not quite true but close enough to be counted as the truth Tilaria decided./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""You don't need to introduce yourself either," Tilaria spoke softly, gazing at Thor. She turned as she spoke and Loki noticed for the first time that she had a dagger on her left hip./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"The elder prince froze. "I was drunk," he offered using the excuse as his defense. He wasn't used to apologizing. "And an oaf," he added. "Sorry."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria apprised him for a moment, and then nodded. "Maybe a reintroduction?" She offered./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Thor nodded, "Prince Thor of Asgard."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Princess Tilaria of Alfheim."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""Good." Volstagg said. "emNow/em will you eat!?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria smiled and almost giggled again as she walked over to an empty seat. She hadn't gone two steps before the doors to the dining hall banged open./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in""You!" Someone shouted./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in"Tilaria turned at the shout and Loki looked up, spotting something glimmering. He shouted a warning, jumping out of his seat as someone threw a blade straight at her./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.0pt;  
margin-left:0in" /p


	6. 6 Shadows of Blood

Time seemed to slow. The thrown blade spun, heading straight for Tilaria. The Princess heard a shout and grabbed her dagger at her waist. Her blade came up just in time to deflect the thrown dagger upward.

She stared at the figure in the door, his arm still extended from the throw. As the would-be assassin's blade came spinning down, Tilaria held out her open hand and caught the hilt squarely in her palm without moving her eyes.

"Arlen?" She whispered. Time returned to normal.

The ambassador of Alfheim stared at her with murder in her eyes and muttered a short curse. Damn, his aim had been dead on but still the mongrel breathed. He had been going to kill the Princes next but now drew his second blade.

The Star Guard broke free of their shock and drew their swords. Loki stood now to, twin daggers having materialized out of thin air to rest in his palms. Thor was moving for a carving knife.

Arlen looked at them with disgust and raised his empty hand. His lips moved soundlessly and he flicked his empty hand in a few signals. Crimson light flickered at his fingertips. Thor grabbed the knife and lunged idiotically at Arlen just as the elf condensed the air into a forceshield, tinting the air that chilling shade of red. Thor was caught in the way as the forceshield activated and was flung backwards with a flare of red sparks and a bang. His head slammed into the dining table with a sickening crack and he fell limp to the floor.

Loki's eyes flickered over to the forceshield and then vaulted over to his brother. He sent a ripple of magic out before he touched his brother, confirming that he had a heartbeat, and trailed his fingers through his brothers' blonde hair. They turned bloody.

Fandral crouched by his side and Sif grabbed her plate, dumping the food, and throwing it at the forceshield. It shattered.

Tilaria turned from the Æsir children to Arlen.

"Nowhere to run now, mongrel," Arlen snarled.

Tilaria gulped and raised her blade and Arlen's thrown one slowly. She was out of her league fighting against him and they both knew it.

Arlen lunged forward.

One of the Star Guard whisked Thor off to the Healer's Ward and dragged his friends with them. Loki just turned invisible, and was forgotten, staring at the duel between Tilaria and Arlen. Tilaria was still breathing but she was slowing. She was bleeding from numerous cuts, blood was splattered on the floor and the forceshield. Arlen was infuriatingly unscathed.

As he watched he tried to reach out with his magic and search for a weak spot in the spell, a breach to let him teleport in or hit Arlen with a spell of his own. His stun-hex and dissolved on contact with the shield twice now. Still no luck and Tilaria was running out of time.

Tilaria caught Arlen's blade on his own, and tried to slide to one side and get some sort of edge when her foot slipped on one of the pools of her blood. Her blades dipped and she moved her arms back to keep from falling, leaving herself exposed. Arlen triumphantly slashed with one of his blades, knocking her dagger from her arm in a wash of blood as he cut her arm to her bone. She lost her balance and Arlen darted forward to stab her in the side.

Loki saw her lips move in a silent cry. Her grip on the other blade failed and it clattered onto the ground. Arlen twisted the blade with malicious glee. Tilaria stumbled back, and hit the forceshield. She slumped against the ground and collapsed.

Arlen stood before her, looking satisfied, and analyzed the situation outside the bubble of the forceshield. There were Star Guard ranged around outside it, blades drawn, most not in armor. The younger prince was standing by the table. Arlen had walked into this not expecting to leave Asgard alive. Taking his time, he picked up his second blade from the half-breed and then carefully picked up the creatures blade.

He whispered the counter-spell and let the forceshield flicker and fade. The Star Guard tensed. The instant the froceshield dropped, Arlen threw Tilaria's blade at Loki. Some movement off to one side had drawn the Prince's eye away and though he looked back it was too late.

The half-breed's dagger hit him, and went through him. Loki's illusion of himself wavered and collapsed into emerald swirls. Arlen stared. The Star Guard moved to engage the assassin.

Loki had teleported himself to the hall outside the dining hall and had stood watching, invisible, for a moment to get close. He now dropped his invisibility and raced over to Tilaria's limp figure, splashing in the pooling blood. Tilaria was alive. Loki focused his magic to his fingertips and set them on her injured side, beginning to weave a healing spell. She stirred and opened her eyes partly.

"Don't move," Loki warned quietly, above the clattering sounds of battle as Arlen fought the Star Guard. "I'm not that good of a healer."

I'm fine a voice inside his head whispered. Arlen…

Loki stared. Tilaria's lips hadn't moved. "The Star Guard are keeping him busy. You, you're a telepath?"

She gave a tiny smile, staying still. Natural affinity, it's as easy as breathing for me, no spell needed

There was a tremendous crash that made both look up. Arlen had flipped a Star Guard onto a table, knocking all the food off as he rolled off it. Of the dozen or so Star Guard that had faced off against Arlen, only two were still standing. As they watched, Arlen dispatched one with a slit to the throat as he threw one of his blades at the other, getting him in the left eye.

Loki felt Tilaria grab his hand, her hand was shaking. Help me her telepathic voice echoed slightly in his skull, quieter than a minute ago, fading. Loki nodded.

With her other hand she dipped her fingers in her blood and drew two runes side by side, fingers trembling.

The runes were sharp lines and harsh angles. The one on the left looked a bit like a 'v' and the one on the right a bit like an eye. Loki ahd never seen runes like them before and he'd read half the boks in Asgard's library.

She whispered words in a language Loki had never heard before, a language that had not been spoken since the supposed extinction of the dark elves.

Arlen turned as the runes of blood glowed and disappeared. Tilaria fell quiet and smiled, reveling fangs. Loki stared as the blood that had been pooling around them dissipated, all the blood on his and hers clothes fading to nothing. The light seemed to darken and the air gained a sharp metallic taste, becoming thick, and hard to breathe. Arlen hesitated.

Tilaria's shadow moved without her body shifting position. It morphed away from her taking the form of a stalking wolf, its eyes the color the now gone blood. The wolf-shadow paused and moved a paw up off the floor, taking on the third dimension, and it shook its mane and raised another paw, dragging itself off the floor and into the corporeal world. It snarled.

Loki could feel a permeating cold set into his bones as Tilaria drew off his magic to work her spell.

The shadow-wolf turned towards Tilaria, awaiting her order. She licked her lips. "Vae'jara." Kill him. She stared at Arlen.

The wolf turned away. The look on Arlen's face was pure terror. It pounced. Arlen slashed at it with his remaining dagger, but both the blade and the arm passed harmlessly through the wolf. The wolfs teeth were not so useless as they crunched into his neck.

Arlen tried to scream but all that came was a chocked gasp, his eyes glazed over and his body went limp as the wolf drank every drop of blood in Arlen's body. Not a single drop touched the ground.

The shadow wolf loosened its grasp and Arlen's body slid to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. The wolf turned its head and paced back over to Tilaria, fading into the second dimension and rejoining with her body without a sound.

"Prince Loki!" "My Prince!" Loki heard the Star Guard shout as they raced into the dining hall, skidding to a stop at the scene in front of them.

Loki cradled Tilaria's head in his lap as she slowly slipped out of consciousness. Forbidden blood magic; this girl was full of surprises.


	7. 7 A Week

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I BLACKED OUT? I MISSED ALL THE FIGHTING?!" Thor wailed as he lay on one of the beds in the healing ward. His head hurt.

Frigga sighed and stroked her elder son's arm soothingly. That "fight" in the dining hall had been a slaughter. Of the elven Star Guard who had combated Arlen, only four were still alive and only two had any chance of a full recovery. Her precious Thor and his friends had managed to escape harm at least, and even Loki, staying behind as he had, had made it unscathed.

There was a knock on the door and Fandral and Hogan inched in. Frigga smiled at them and got up with a rustle of her skirts. "Keep him in bed." She ordered the boys. They nodded.

"Mother!" She heard Thor plead as she left. Frigga shook her head and walked up to Eir, the chief healer. He and Fey, the Healer of who tended to the Royal Family, had been busy trying to stabilize their youngest patient.

"Any change?" She asked.

Eir shook his head no. "It is just a matter of time before she recovers from the blood loss but I cannot imagine what she did to drain her magic so much. Magic is tied to life force as you know, and she is almost out of magic."

Frigga nodded. She knew all about magic, she had taught Loki after all. Eir She walked to a private room. There were only two people in it. One had slipped into a coma and the other sat by her side, her ever vigilant guard.

Loki looked up at Frigga's entry. "Mother," he whispered with a small smile.

"Hello my dear," she replied, walking over and setting a hand on her younger child's shoulder.

Loki looked tired. It had been two days since Arlen's assassination attempt, and Loki had stayed here the whole time. He had been splitting his time between his frustrated brother and Tilaria, who had yet to awaken. Most of it had been with Tilaria. Frigga looked down and saw that he was still clutching Tilaria's dagger, just like yesterday.

"Why won't she wake up?" He whispered sadly.

"She will in time. You say she used some sort of shadow magic?" Frigga replied.

Loki remembering what Tilaria had whispered to him telepathically before she had blacked out

-don't say it was blood magic that I did, say anything else besides that. Hallien will kill me-

Loki had believed that she meant that literally. He had been shaken by the terror in her voice at the prospect of the elves finding out about her blood magic. So he had said she had used shadow magic to make her shadow come alive and kill.

"You like her don't you?" Frigga asked with a smile.

"She's a mage and she's not like most girls. She's… different. A good different I think."

Frigga nodded, taking care to hide her smile at his wording and left Loki to his vigil.

* * *

Odin stood on the end of the Bifrost, upset with every right to be. Arlen and Hallien had grown up together, for Arlen to do something like this without Hallien's knowledge was not possible.

"To try to assassinate his own foster daughter in _my_ dining hall is one thing, but to target my sons is quite another!"

Heimdall stood stoically as Odin ranted, getting out a bit of frustration before he opened the Link.

"There is no proof that King Hallien was behind the Arlen's attempt," Heimdall offered, his orange eyes distant. "But it is a possibility."

Odin grimaced and composed himself, standing in front of the gateway. "Open the link," he ordered.

Heimdall slid his sword into the bridge, the gateway glowing and took on a reflective sheen, solidifying itself into the image of King Hallien in his throne room. "Hallien," Odin began curtly.

"Allfather," Hallien said with a smirk. "To what do I owe this honor?"

This Link allowed the heads of realms to communicate with Asgard without needing to leave their throne room. Usually Heimdall delivered important messages, but not this time.

"The ambassador you sent me tried to assassinate your daughter and my sons." Odin was in no mood for the typical elfin banter.

"I have a son," Hallien nodded, "but no daughters." He dismissed. "As you are using the Link instead of coming in person I presume your sons are still alive. So what of Arlen?"

He doesn't care, Odin realized, about Tilaria or my sons. Gods, he probably did order Arlen. "Dead."

"A pity," Hallien shrugged his shoulders. His beauty was as flawless as any elf but his eyes were like all elves; dead, and cold like chips of ice, completely without emotion, revealing nothing. Tilaria was the only elf Odin had ever met to have some sparkle, some life in her eyes.

"Do I need to send another ambassador? I shall need Arlen's body back. Oh, and the half-breed if she survives." Odin had to try to not flinch at Hellian's words and tone. How Hellian treated Tilaria was far from right, but she Hellian's child. Odin had no control.

Hellian apprised Odin. "I assure you that I had no knowledge of what Arlen was going to do. I sent him as an ambassador, not an assassin. He acted alone."

"Of course he did," Odin replied tightly, finding it harder and harder to speak to Hellian.

Hellian turned away, breaking the connection. His image faded. The Bifrost returned to normal.

Odin looked like he wanted to Heimdall to open the Bifrost so he could go strangle Hellian himself. Elves were so infuriating.

* * *

Loki felt his eyes growing heavy and his head bobbed. He was about to fall asleep in the chair again. Straightening, he shook his head and tried to stay awake. He managed a small time spell that told him it was just after sunset. Yawning, he stretched and gazed at Tilaria.

She really was one of a kind. He hoped she would stay awhile, he would enjoy her company.

Why don't you just go find a bed? a voice whispered in his head.

Loki almost fell out of the chair. "Tilaria?"

The girl moved her head and opened her eyes with a smile. "Hi," she spoke with a raspy voice, trying to sit up.

"Don't move." Loki warned getting to his feet.

"Fey! Eir!" He called as he darted to the door; he tripped over the chair leg with an oomph and was back up in a flash. "She's awake! She's awake!" He called out happily, his eager shouting a background to Tilaria's laughter.

* * *

The Bifrost activated in a flurry of color and Tilaria watched as Arlen's aides left with his body. Hellian had recalled them all. Tilaria stood at the back with Thor and Loki, watching. Despite only awakening hours before, she would leave next. At least she'd had a chance to tell them why she'd been spying on them at the training field.

The elves had had all they could take of the half-breed and wandered if Odin could foster her. The fostering of royal families on other realms hadn't happened since Malekith. The whole reason she had come was to see Asgard for herself, to see if it would be possible.

After the, as Hellian had put it, poor show of Æsir security, that possibility was being seriously questioned. Thus all the elves return. But Tilaria liked Asgard and she would not let Hellian rest until she could come back.

Loki and Thor were pleased. Thor because, as Tilaria had demonstrated during her duel with Arlen, knew she would make an amazing training partner; and he still wanted Tilaria to be his girl. Loki because he could use having another mage around him and her smile made him blush.

Tilaria sighed as Heimdall finished resetting the Bifrost. She turned to the Princes. "I guess I'll see you soon." That was another thing she did uniquely, she was the only elf to use conjunctions.

"A week," Thor said after a pause, looking sad.

A week Tilaria confirmed telepathically.

Tilaria's eyes flickered over to Loki, want to help me with some spells Trick? she asked, her lips still not moving.

Loki figured out how to respond in kind and did so, yes and Trick?

Tilaria smiled. You are the trickster of Asgard aren't you?

Loki couldn't suppress a smile. Truth

Without another word, Tilaria walked over to the gateway as the Bifrost came to life. Her image became a silhouette in the intense light, then was gone.

The Princes stood there for a brief time before leaving, walking over to where their horses were. Thor untied the reins of the mare that Tilaria had borrowed from his saddle as they mounted up.

"Wait a minute." Thor said suddenly as Loki got his seating. "Her lips weren't moving."

"Hmm?" Loki asked.

"When she said 'a week!'"

"She _is_ a telepath you know." Loki raised an eyebrow at Thor with a sly smile.

"She's a WHAT! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!"

"I suspect she was born with the ability, like how I can use ice so well." Loki replied as he wandered how he could manipulate ice so easily. He brushed the thought away, it wasn't that important.

"Hey, wait a minute, what did she say to you?" Thor demanded. "After she said 'a week,' I know she said something! You smiled!"

Loki clicked his horse into a trot, laughing softly.

Thor put his heels to his horse to catch up, keeping ahold of the mare's reins. "BROTHER!"

THE END


End file.
